In the past few years we have seen Venezuela as an arms recipient, but does it now qualify as an arms dealer? In late September the Chávez administration donated six combat airplanes to Ecuador.
Despite the weapons transfer, relations between Colombia and Ecuador appear to be on the mend, with talks about the resumption of diplomatic relations. The Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa remains a realist, however, stating that his country is “always going to watch its back”.
Arms sales and transfers remain tricky business. Once upon a time, Venezuela itself purchased the bulk of its weapons systems from the United States. This rings a bell – the US selling arms that can later be turned against its own forces (see, most recently, Iraq and Afghanistan).